It was unexpected...
The prison, where I spent more than twenty-eight years confined to, and where I came to faith in Christ at, was now being shut down. Sullivan Correctional Facility in the town of Fallsburg, New York, first opened around 1985. At the time it was considered a "state of the art" prison that was smaller in size and in population, and therefore easier to control, than New York's older maximum-security facilities that were built in the 1800s.
Prisons such as the infamous Sing-Sing, Auburn, and Clinton Correctional facilities are huge monstrosities that could hold two thousand inmates and more. While other prisons, such as the ignominious Attica, where more than forty prisoners and guards perished in a horrific riot in 1971, and other massive facilities known for their high levels of violence - Greenhaven, and Comstock - have their well-earned reputations as dangerous institutions.
But then came the modern age of smaller prisons such as Sullivan, where I resided until April of 2016, when I was transferred to Shawangunk Correctional Facility, where I am at present. These two facilities were made to hold about 550 men, and required a smaller staff with more technologically advanced security equipment at their disposal, such as electronically controlled doors, and more.
So it was surprising to learn that Sullivan was on the so called "chopping block." At first, I couldn't believe it. My years at Sullivan were unique. Being in a "maximum security" facility, I had my good days and bad ones. There's no "easy" place to do prison time in, no matter its size. Yet I flourished at Sullivan.
I had good jobs. I got along well with both Sullivan's staff and its inmates. I was trusted to work with the "sight-impaired” individuals. The facility had a special housing area for the men who were legally blind, along with those who have extreme hearing loss. I was a caretaker and "program aid" for them.
I did the same when I worked in the special needs housing area for those with serious mental health issues. Though I lived in the general population, I was given the clearance to go into the 64-man "Special Needs" unit on Mondays through Fridays to assist these men with their needs.
The guys used to tease me in a good-natured way because I was, for them, a combination of counselor, chaplain and preacher. They would say, "Bring your problems to brother Dave," because they regarded me as a friend. I was a listening ear all who needed one. I would also help them with writing letters home. And when I could, I'd bring snacks with me, and some hygiene items too for those who couldn't afford these things from the commissary.
At Sullivan, we had a spiritually vibrant chapel fellowship with good Bible studies, worship services, and regular prayer meetings. We also had a variety of outside guests who consisted of lay ministers from the local community, along with well-respected ordained preachers and teachers who'd come from New York City and other areas to teach us about Jesus.
It's hard to believe the place where I lived at for almost three decades is now standing vacant. Sullivan Correctional facility was where men, including myself, made our peace with God and found forgiveness and hope. But now it's just a memory.
D.B.
Fallsburg's Sullivan Correctional Facility to Shut Down
Sullivan County Democrat,
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 (Headline, page 1)
www.scdemocratonline.com
by Patricio Robayo
Prisons such as the infamous Sing-Sing, Auburn, and Clinton Correctional facilities are huge monstrosities that could hold two thousand inmates and more. While other prisons, such as the ignominious Attica, where more than forty prisoners and guards perished in a horrific riot in 1971, and other massive facilities known for their high levels of violence - Greenhaven, and Comstock - have their well-earned reputations as dangerous institutions.
But then came the modern age of smaller prisons such as Sullivan, where I resided until April of 2016, when I was transferred to Shawangunk Correctional Facility, where I am at present. These two facilities were made to hold about 550 men, and required a smaller staff with more technologically advanced security equipment at their disposal, such as electronically controlled doors, and more.
So it was surprising to learn that Sullivan was on the so called "chopping block." At first, I couldn't believe it. My years at Sullivan were unique. Being in a "maximum security" facility, I had my good days and bad ones. There's no "easy" place to do prison time in, no matter its size. Yet I flourished at Sullivan.
I had good jobs. I got along well with both Sullivan's staff and its inmates. I was trusted to work with the "sight-impaired” individuals. The facility had a special housing area for the men who were legally blind, along with those who have extreme hearing loss. I was a caretaker and "program aid" for them.
I did the same when I worked in the special needs housing area for those with serious mental health issues. Though I lived in the general population, I was given the clearance to go into the 64-man "Special Needs" unit on Mondays through Fridays to assist these men with their needs.
The guys used to tease me in a good-natured way because I was, for them, a combination of counselor, chaplain and preacher. They would say, "Bring your problems to brother Dave," because they regarded me as a friend. I was a listening ear all who needed one. I would also help them with writing letters home. And when I could, I'd bring snacks with me, and some hygiene items too for those who couldn't afford these things from the commissary.
At Sullivan, we had a spiritually vibrant chapel fellowship with good Bible studies, worship services, and regular prayer meetings. We also had a variety of outside guests who consisted of lay ministers from the local community, along with well-respected ordained preachers and teachers who'd come from New York City and other areas to teach us about Jesus.
It's hard to believe the place where I lived at for almost three decades is now standing vacant. Sullivan Correctional facility was where men, including myself, made our peace with God and found forgiveness and hope. But now it's just a memory.
D.B.
Fallsburg's Sullivan Correctional Facility to Shut Down
Sullivan County Democrat,
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 (Headline, page 1)
www.scdemocratonline.com
by Patricio Robayo
